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Cairns gets Aussie Tour invite

Sport
ZIMBABWEAN golfer Ryan Cairns has temporarily shifted base to Australia in an effort to get some competitive rounds under his belt before the start of the 2015 Sunshine Tour Schedule early next month.

ZIMBABWEAN golfer Ryan Cairns has temporarily shifted base to Australia in an effort to get some competitive rounds under his belt before the start of the 2015 Sunshine Tour Schedule early next month.

DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER

The Harare-born golfer will take part in two Aussie summer events starting with The Oates Victoria Open to be played from February 5-8 at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links at the Barwon Heads Resort in Victoria.

Cairns told NewsDay Sport from his base in Australia that after being sidelined with a wrist injury for the better part of last year, he needed to play some competitive golf before returning to the Sunshine Tour.

“I’m currently in Australia having received one of six international tournament invites into the Victorian Open in Melbourne, on the Australian PGA Tour. A multiple PGA Tour winner in the United States, Mark Hensby was one of the other invites so it’s pretty awesome company to be in! Anyway, I decided to play as I need tournament rounds under my belt having missed so many events in 2014 with that injury,” Cairns said.

The 30-year-old golfer has played in only three tournaments since his wrist injury last July, failing to make the cut Lion of Africa Cape Town Open, the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the recent South African Open Championship.

After The Oates Victoria Open, Cairns will play in the Victorian PGA Championship from February 10-13 before returning to South Africa for the Joburg Open at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club from February 26 to March 1.

Cairns, who managed his breakthrough, win at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Simola tournament in 2012 is part of a new generation of Zimbabwean golfers angling for a move up the world golfing map.

Last season, the Royal Harare Golf Club golfer finished as the highest placed local on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit standings on position 68 despite missing most tournaments due to injury.